as at that time hardly represented, and her
prospects in India were better than our own. At that time, too, she
disputed with us on equal terms the empire of the sea.

The loss of her North American provinces turned the scale. With the
monopoly of such a market, the commerce of England increased
enormously, and with her commerce her wealth and power of extension,
while the power of France was proportionately crippled. It is true
that, in time, the North American colonies, with the exception of
Canada, broke away from their connection with the old country; but they
still remained English, still continued to be the best market for our
goods and manufactures.

Never was the short-sightedness of human beings shown more distinctly,
than when France wasted her strength and treasure in a sterile contest
on the continent of Europe, and permitted, with scarce an effort, her
North American colonies to be torn from her.

All the historical details of the war have been drawn from the
excellent work entitled Montcalm and Wolfe, by Mr. Francis Parkman, and
from the detailed history of the Louisbourg and Quebec expeditions, by
Major Knox, who served under Generals Amherst and Wolfe.

Yours very sincerely,

G. A. Henty.

Chapter 1: A Rescue.

Most of the towns standing on our seacoast have suffered a radical
change in the course of the last century. Railways, and the fashion of
summer holiday making, have transformed them altogether, and great
towns have sprung up where fishing villages once stood. There are a few
places, however, which seem to have been passed by, by the crowd. The
number yearly becomes smaller, as the iron roads throw out fresh
branches. With the advent of these comes the speculative builder. Rows
of terraces and shops are run up, promenades are made, bathing machines
and brass bands become familiar objects, and in a few years the
original character of the place altogether disappears.

Sidmouth, for a long time, was passed by, by the world of holiday
makers. East and west of her, great changes took place, and many far
smaller villages became fashionable seaside watering places. The
railway, which passed by some twelve miles away, carried its tens of
thousands westward, but left few of them for Sidmouth, and anyone who
visited the pretty little place, fifteen years back, would have seen it
almost as it stood when our story opens a century ago.

There are few places in England with a fairer site. It li